​The above table serves as a snapshot of the typical factors that impact ridership, and illustrates the differences which exist between the current month and the same month in the previous year. If a change occurred, it is categorized to represent a (typically) positive, negative or neutral impact on ridership.More details on the observed impacts are noted in the description of ridership results below. ​

​Local Network Overview

Local Bus

Monthly Total

There were 4,908,117 boardings in February 2016 on local bus service. This is an increase of 397,194 boardings (or 9 percent increase) compared to February 2015. As in previous years, METRO operated a Weekday schedule on President's Day. Total boardings on the local bus network in 2016 for President's Day (Weekday service) were approximately 13 % higher than in 2015. A portion of the year-over-year increase (about half) is attributed to the positive calendar mix; as 2016 was a Leap Year, February 2016 included one extra weekday.

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average Weekday ridership increased by 5,363 boardings (or 3 percent) in 2016 compared to 2015. Two days (Monday, February 22 and Tuesday, February 23) experienced heavy rainfall during the AM Peak period, which resulted in lower ridership on those days. Average Saturday and Sunday ridership are up over last year, primarily the result of increased levels of service on high frequency ridership routes on weekends with the implementation of the New Bus Network in August 2015.

​Light Rail

Monthly Total

There were 1,571,549 boardings on all three light rail lines in February 2016. This is an increase of 454,807 boardings (or 41 percent increase) over February 2015. The opening of the Green and Purple lines in May 2015, an extra weekday, and no service interruptions had a positive impact on rail.

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average daily ridership on Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday all increased in 2016 compared to 2015. The increases are largely due to three factors: the opening of the Green and Purple lines in May 2015; the increase of service on the Red line in May 2015 (6 minute service on North Line portion); and the bus-rail interface (a component of the New Bus Network).

Total Local Network

Monthly Total

Local network ridership increased in 2016 compared to the previous year by 852,001 boardings (an increase of 15 percent).

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average daily ridership increased on the local network for Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday daily averages, by 8 percent, 18 percent, and 35 percent, respectively. Sunday experienced large increases in 2016 compared to 2015 due to increased service levels on the weekend in the New Bus Network, as well as other factors noted earlier.

​Commuter Network Overview

Park & Ride

Monthly Total

There were 718,664 park & ride bus boardings in February 2016 compared to 666,408 boardings in February 2015, an increase of 52,256 boardings (an 8 percent increase). This increase in total boardings is primarily due to the calendar mix (February 2016 had one more day of Park & Ride service, due to Leap Year, compared to February 2015).

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday

Average daily weekday ridership in February 2016 was 34,390 boardings, an increase of 654 boardings over February 2015 (or 2 percent).

Entire Network Summary

Monthly Total

Ridership on the entire fixed-route network increased by 904,257 boardings (or 14 percent increase) in February 2016 compared to February 2015 as a result of the factors noted earlier.

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average daily ridership for the entire fixed-route network increased on Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday, with the weekend showing large gains due to increased service levels on local bus and a more robust light rail network as compared to last year.